Papantonio: America’s New Service Economy

For millions of out of work Americans, the news that the private sector added more than 200,000 new jobs in April was a breath of fresh air. The only problem is that these aren’t the kinds of jobs that Americans would normally be lining up to apply for. 62,000 of these jobs are for McDonald’s, and many of the rest include minimum wage-paying positions that are either for seasonal work, or provide no benefits. This recovery poses a serious question – are we becoming a service society?